ONS are an integral part of a patient’s malnutrition management plan and are usually taken for a defined period of time only.

When it comes to taste, there is such a wide variety of types, flavours and textures that everyone will find something to their liking and to enjoy.

There are even products adapted to certain types of conditions. For example, there are lower volume ONS, suitable for those with a very small appetite, which can be the case for some elderly people. In short, there is something for everyone.

Scientific data¹ shows the benefits of ONS, which can:

Help patients to regain lost weight, improve appetite, improve energy and strength and quality of life in general. They can also support people to stay at home.

ONS are not meal replacements!
It is very important that people taking ONS continue to eat regular small meals and snacks, as advised by a healthcare professional. ONS should be taken alongside a person’s normal meals, not as a replacement for normal foods, and recent studies have even shown that taking ONS can improve appetite² in some cases!

To conclude, providing each person with individual and personalised advice is the key to a good management plan!

For information about relevant international standards, see the ISDI brochure on Foods for Special Medical Purposes (FSMP).

Download the factsheet.

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1. Better care through better nutrition: Value and effects of Medical Nutrition. Medical Nutrition International.

2. Seguy D, et al. Compliance to oral nutritional supplementation decreases the risk of hospitalisation in malnourished older adults without extra health care cost: Prospective observational cohort study. Clin Nutr. 2020 Jun;39(6):1900-1907. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2019.08.005.

5.-Introducing-a-patient-to-the-benefits-of-ONS